Green CaveVis Island

The Green Cave (Zelena špilja) is cut into the small islet of Ravnik, off the south-eastern coast of Vis near the bay of Rukavac. Where the Blue Cave is about a narrow chamber and a single beam of light, the Green Cave is open and generous: two wide entrances let our boat slip straight inside, and a hole in the ceiling lets a shaft of sunlight fall onto the water, which turns the whole cavern a luminous green.

The colour is at its most vivid around midday, when the sun sits high enough to pour straight through the ceiling opening; earlier or later it softens to a deep emerald. The calm, shallow water along the walls makes this one of the few caves in the area you can actually swim and snorkel in, so bring a mask. Fish shelter in the shadows, and the play of light on the rock is worth the swim alone. Entry is managed locally and a small ticket is required, which your skipper handles.

Ravnik lies well beyond Hvar's own coves, so the Green Cave works best as one stop on a longer day on the water rather than a destination in itself. Most guests pair it with the Blue Cave on Biševo, the hidden beach at Stiniva, and a long lunch in Komiža or Vis Town before the run back to Hvar. Our Blue Cave & Island Vis tour follows exactly that route, and the order can be adjusted on the day to catch each cave in its best light.

It is also the more forgiving of the two caves. The wide entrances mean it stays open in conditions that would close the Blue Cave, so on a day with a little swell from the south it is often the highlight of the Vis loop. Early morning and late afternoon are quieter if you would rather have the cavern to yourself and can live with a gentler glow.

If you are planning a day trip to Vis by boat from Hvar, the Green Cave is the stop that surprises people most: less famous than its blue neighbour, but the one you get to swim in.